With her family and Ukrainian friends living in Spain, Svitlana Shcherbatyuk participates from Pamplona in different initiatives to help her compatriots, such as the creation of the association"Wings of Ukraine", the managementof the reception of Ukrainian families in Navarre, or helping as an interpreter for refugees arriving in our country.
How are you experiencing from afar the statusthat your country is suffering?
To say bad is an understatement. When the conflict broke out, I burst into tears for fear of losing my family, for the helplessness of not being able to do anything. Since that day, the first thing I do when I wake up is turn on the news to find out what happened that night. I call my family and friends in Ukraine every day to find out if they are still safe.
Are you involved in any initiatives to help Ukrainian refugees?
When this status started, Ukrainians living here started a collection of medicines, food and clothes that we send to Ukraine or to the Polish border. In order to manage the collection, sorting and shipping of the material, the association"Wings of Ukraine" has been created. The SOS Ukraine cluster was also formed, in which different associations from Navarre participate. New needs have now arisen. For example, refugees arriving in Spain or other countries need a lot financial aid.
How can the university community help?
I don't know how much can be asked, but as it says in the Gospel: "Ask and it will be given to you". It would be great financial aidif the Clinic could offer its medical care to victims of the war and to people who have had to interrupt treatment in Ukraine because they have been displaced. Fundraising could also be initiated to buy an ambulance, fill it with medicines and send it to Ukraine. In addition, I would like to encourage people to continue to donate food and medicines to send to the cities where they are most needed right now. Finally, "Wings of Ukraine", as a newborn association, needs financial aidfrom teachers and final year students of Journalism, Marketing or designin order to improve its work.
Would you like to add any further questions?
I would like to thank all that has already been done and the initiatives that are being carried out: Tantaka, for coordinating the Spanish classes for Ukrainians, and to the teachers and students who participate in the project; to Natalia Ibiricu, for managing a fundraiser and bringing many Ukrainian families to Spain; to those people who made donations for that cause; to the students who have dedicated their time to help us in the storeroom; to those who have hosted Ukrainian families in their homes; and also to all the people who have prayed so many rosaries for peace in Ukraine. I would also like to thank all my colleagues for their support in these difficult times, and especially the director of the Service, Maria José Bailly-Bailliere, for her concern for me and my family and for her willingness to help in any way she can.